Safer Betting

Wagering should be a leisure activity. The moment it stops being one, free help is one phone call away.

Need Help Right Now?

The National Gambling Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You do not need to be in crisis to call — trained advisers can help you assess your habits, set limits, or talk through your options.

GamCare National Helpline: 0808 8020 133 — free from all UK landlines and mobiles, 24/7.

Prefer to type? Use the live online chat at GamCare.org.uk — available seven days a week.

GAMSTOP: Self-Exclusion Across Every UKGC-Licensed Operator

GAMSTOP is a free, government-backed self-exclusion service operated in partnership with the UK Gambling Commission. A single registration blocks access to every sportsbook, wagering platform, and remote gambling site licensed under a UKGC operating licence — you do not need to contact individual operators separately.

How to register:

  1. Go to gamstop.co.uk.
  2. Choose your exclusion period: six months, one year, or five years.
  3. Provide your name, date of birth, email address, postal address, and UK mobile number.
  4. Your exclusion is active within 24 hours. GAMSTOP notifies operators on your behalf.

Your chosen period cannot be shortened after it begins. At the end of the period, you must actively request reinstatement — exclusion does not lapse automatically. If you are in any doubt about your relationship with wagering, select the longest period available.

Built-In Controls at UKGC-Licensed Operators

Every operator listed on BristolGambit holds a UKGC operating licence. The Commission requires all licence holders to provide the following tools as standard. If you cannot find them in your account, contact the operator's support team directly.

Deposit Limits

Set daily, weekly, or monthly deposit limits on your account. Reductions take immediate effect; increases are subject to a 24-hour cooling-off period.

Session Timers

Limits on the duration of a single session. You will be alerted or logged out automatically when your chosen time is reached.

Reality Checks

On-screen pop-ups at intervals you choose, reminding you how long you have been active and how much you have deposited or withdrawn in the session.

Self-Exclusion (Operator)

All UKGC licensees must offer self-exclusion for a minimum of six months at the request of the customer. This operates at the brand level only — use GAMSTOP for portfolio-wide exclusion.

Warning Signs Worth Knowing

The following patterns may indicate that wagering has moved from leisure into a problem. This list is drawn from guidance published by GamCare and BeGambleAware and is not intended as a clinical assessment:

  • Spending more than you intend or can comfortably afford
  • Chasing losses with larger or more frequent wagers
  • Borrowing money, or concealing wagering activity from family or friends
  • Feeling irritable or anxious when not wagering
  • Neglecting work, relationships, or responsibilities because of wagering time
  • Continuing to wager despite a strong desire to stop

Experiencing one or more of these does not mean you have a problem, but it is a prompt to pause and seek advice. GamCare advisers are trained to help you think through your situation without judgement. Call 0808 8020 133, free, 24 hours a day.